By Paul Effiong, Abuja
House of Representatives has urged tertiary health institutions to urgently step up medical research, warning that reactionary measures like what was experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic was uncalled for.
Speaking yesterday during the 2026 budget defence session at the National Assembly in Abuja, Chairman of the House Committee on Health Institutions, Patrick Umoh lamented what he described as the steady erosion of research culture in teaching hospitals.
Umoh, who also accused hospital managements of misplaced priorities, called for adequate measures to promote research and innovation.
Lawmakers who spoke at the occasion emphasised the urgency of teaching hospitals returning to their core mandate as centres of innovation rather than functioning as mere general hospitals.
Umoh equally criticised the Chief Medical Directors, CMDs, for allocating less than one percent of their annual budgets to research and for failing to raise the issue during budget defence and preparations.
He emphasised that teaching hospitals are supposed to be centres of research.
CAC @35: NITDA Endorses AI-driven Transformation
By Blessing Otobong -Gabriel
Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to support the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, in its Artificial Intelligence, AI-led transformation.
Inuwa gave the assurance in his goodwill message at the 35th anniversary of the commission held in Abuja.
Commending the CAC for its resilience and consistency, the NITDA boss noted that unlike many institutions that falter after early success, it had sustained steady growth over the years.
“Organisations often rise and fall, but some continue to thrive and that is exactly what we are witnessing with CAC today,” he said.
Recalling his early interactions with the commission, Inuwa stated that from the onset of his tenure, the registrar-general prioritised organisational transformation, particularly through digital innovation.
He stressed that the current phase of development goes beyond basic digitisation, arguing that true transformation in today’s world could only be achieved through the adoption and integration of artificial intelligence into core operations.
“We are in the AI era and the only way to transform today is to embrace and integrate it into operations. This is precisely what the registrar-general is doing,” Inuwa noted.
He assured CAC of NITDA’s readiness to work closely with it to embed AI across its processes, adding that the technology would enhance operational intelligence, simplify company registration and business management, and strengthen cybersecurity.
“With AI, intelligence will be infused into everything CAC does, making it easier for Nigerians to register companies and manage their businesses,” he said.
According to Inuwa, advanced AI tools will also help CAC staff stay ahead of fraudsters by preventing hacking and fraudulent alterations of company records, while ensuring that systems are protected through responsible and ethical deployment.
He described CAC’s ongoing digital reforms as bold and far-reaching, citing the reduction in company registration timelines from several months to as little as 24 hours.
He noted that deeper AI integration would improve name search and reservation, automate filings, strengthen corporate governance and significantly reduce fraud.
Inuwa also highlighted NITDA’s role in reviewing CAC’s digital and AI transformation roadmaps, as well as providing guidelines, standards, capacity-building support and safeguards to ensure secure, sustainable and people-centred digital services.
